Pneumatic separator



F. H. QUADE, JR.

PNEUMATIC SEPARATORA APPLICATION m5!) NOV. 7, I91! 1 ,3@6,@24. Patented June 10, 1919,

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

F. H. QUADEI JR.

PNEUMATIC SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov, 1, m1.

Patented June 10, 1919.

m 3 K NN QNN \QN QQN F. H. QUADE. JR.

PNEUMATIC SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION. FILED NOV. '1, 19:1.

. s M1 e n I n a i 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented June 10, 1919.

lllllllllllj lllllllpsi are rater can) FRANK H. QUADE, JR., OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC SEPARATOR.

Patented June 10, 1919.

Original application filed April 20, 1917, Serial No. 163,457. Divided and this application filed November 7,

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK H. QUADE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic separators for printing machines, the present application being a division of an application filed by me April 20, 1917, Serial No.'163,457.

In the annexed drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a sheet separating and feeding mechanism embodyingrmy present improvements,

ig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is an elevation of the actuating mechanism, I

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line. 44 of 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a cam slide.

The sheets ofpaper to be fed to the printing mechanism are piledupon a table or board 13 and are transferred singly and successively from said table to the feeding rollers. The table is preferably pivoted to a bracket 15 which is slidably mounted on a vertical bar or post 16 which is supported rigidly by the main frame of the printing machine. The pivotal mounting of the table permits it to be so adjusted that the sheets of paper will be stepped against the guide board 121 and the upper sheets slightly buckled or bent from the stack so that only a single sheet will be picked up by the transferring mechanism.

The bracket 15 is provided at its lower edge with a forwardly projecting arm 31 which extends around the post 16 and beyond the same and is constructed at its extremity with a threaded bore to engage around the threaded rod 32, saidrod being mounted at its lower end in a bracket 28 secured on the post 16 and a ratchet wheel 33 bein rigidly secured upon the rod below said racket. A lever 35 is loosely mounted upon the rod and carries a pawl 36 which at times engages and actnates the ratchet wheel and at other times rides on the hood 34 which partly incloses the ratchet. The rod will thus be intermittently rotated and the table raised as the stock of paper diminishes and a gage, indicated generally at 38, is provided so that by adjusting the hood the Serial No. 200,806.

rod'will be permitted to feed the table a distance equal to the thickness of one sheet of paper. Motion is imparted to the lever 35 by a pitmau 9 which is operatively connected with the mechanism for operating the printing machine (not shown).

At. the inner end of the lever 35 is secured a beveled gear 44 which is disposed loosely upon the lower end of the rod 32 but is rigid with the lever so that it will follow the movement of the lever but will not actuate the rod. In the side of the bracket 28 a stub shaft 45 is onrnalcd, and upon the inner end of said shaft is a beveled gear 40 which meshes with the gear 44 'so that the vibrations or reciprocations of the pitma-n 0 and the lever 35 will be transmitted through the gears to the shaft 45. It, will be understood, of course, that while I have illustrated complete pinions or gear wheels, the entire surface of these gears are not always used in the operation of the mechanism and segmental gears may be employed. To the outer end of the stub shaft 45, I secure a crank or arm 47 and to the rear end of the said crank, I pivot the lower end of a connecting rod 107. The upper feed roller 101 is journaled in and extends between the side plates 100 of the main frame, being constantly rotated by mechanism (not shown) driven from the main shaft of the printing machine.

The lower feed roller 102 is carried by arms 103 pivotally mounted on the inner sides of the side plates 100 and held normally and yieldably upward so as to maintain the feed rollers in contact by the springs 104 having their upper ends seated in recesses 125 in the arms 103 and their lower ends fitted to the upper extremities of the adjustino screws 105 mounted in lugs 106 on the side plates. The puppet 108, embracing the connecting rod or link 107, is carried by and swiveled on a crank arm 107 secured to a rock shaft 110 mounted in and extending between the side plates for rocking movement. A lever 100 is secured to the rock shaft adjacent each side plate and the rear ends of these lovers are pivoted to the slides or carrying plates 111 which are hung upon pins or studs 112 rigid with the side plates 100 and projecting from the inner sides of the same. The slides 111 are provided each with a longitudinal slot 113 which engages a pin 112 to permit the slide to ride on the pin, the lower end of the slot being turned board 121, I provide an opening rearwardly, as shown at 114. A cross bar or rod 115 has its ends secured inthe ,carryin'g plates 111 and extends between the said plates the suction tubes 116 being carried by the said crossbar or rod and secured adj ustably thereon by set screws 117 whereby they may be readily adapted to operate on sheets of different widths. The suction tubes 116 are constructed with heads 118 through which the cross rod 115 passes and in the rear portion of which is formed a passage 119 which. communicates directly with and forms a continuation'of the bore of the suction tube. A flexible conduit 120 is fitted upon the rear extension of the head 118 and this conduit communicates with a suction pum as will be readily understood. In the out gage 122 and to the front side of the said gage board, around the said opening, I secure the upper end of a conduit 123 which leads from the pump.

-The opening 122 is located on the line at which the suction tubes engage the uppermost sheet of paper and permits a gentle stream of air to play upon the edges of the sheets of paper so that they will be slightly separated and the liability of more than one sheet being lifted by the suction tubes thereby obviated.

In Fig. 1 the parts are shown in the position occupied when the suction tubes are just .about to engage or have engaged a be raised. As the link the arms willbe caused to move approximately in a vertical plane by reason of the engage- -ment of the slots 113 in the carrying plates 111 with the pins or studs 112 until the sheet of paper has been raised to the plane of the 'bight between the two feed rollers, at which time the rearwardly turned por tion's 114 of the slots will engage the pins or studs 112 and will cause the ca ing plates to move forwardly so that the edge of the sheet of paper will be moved into the said bight. The edge of the paper will be then at once engagedby .the feed rollers and it will be drawn forwardly and delivered to the conveyers which carry it to the printing mechanism.

The upper portion of the link 107 is reduced, as shown at 126, thereby providing a shoulder 12-7 and upon the said reduced portion of the link at the upper end thereof, I mount a bushing 128 which is capable of a limited sliding movement relative to the link, a spring 129 being coiled around the link between the shoulder 127 and the lower end of the said bushing. The tension of the spring is regulated by the jam nuts 1-30 on the upper extremity of the link, and an annular rim or bead 58 is provided at the lower end of the bushing.

As the pitman 9 and lever 35 move rearwardly, the gear 44 will be rocked and. a

portion of the linkcannot move rearwardly to the same extent as its lower end and it, consequently, tends to assume a vertical position, the swiveled mounting of the puppet permitting the bushing and the link to ac-- commodate the angular movement relative to the crank 107. The weight of the suction tubes and the parts supporting them tends to hold them down onto the stack 4 the flanged lower end of the bushing will be carried against the puppet 108 where-' upon the spring 129' will be compressed of paper. As the link moves upwardly,

until its tension forces. the bushing to fol- -low the movement of the link and the crank 107 will then be swung upward and the suction tubes with the sheet engaged therebyraised to the feed rollers. When the tubes are lowered, the link may move through the bushing until the tension of the spring is relieved. The lost motion between the link and the crank 107 permits the suction tubes to rest or remain lowered until they have formed the proper.engagement with the paper and also permits them to yield to the impact upon the stack of paper so as to avoid damage thereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a table, a rock shaft disposed below the'table, means for actuating said rock shaft, suction tubes dis- .posed above the table, a crank on the rock shaft, a link pivoted to and rising from the said crank, a rock shaft mounted above the table and in advance of the suction tubes,

a lost motion connection between the said link and the said last-mentioned rock shaft, and operative connections between the last- .mentioned rock shaft and the suction tubes.

2. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a table, suction tubes disposed above the table, a rock shaft, operative connections between the rock shaft and the suction tubes, a second rock shaft disposed below the table, a gear on said second rock shaft, an actuating lever disposed below the second rock shaft, means for operating said actuating lever, a gear carried by said lever and meshing with the first-mentioned gear, a crank extending from the lower rock shaft, a link rising from said crank, and a lost-motion connection between the u per portion of said link and the upper roc shaft.

3. Inan-apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a main frame, a

table supported upon said frame, a constantly rotating feed roller mounted in the frame above the table, inwardly projecting studs on the sides of the frame, slides provided with straight vertical slots engaging said pins, the lower ends of the slots being turned rearwardly toward the table, suction tubes carried by said slides and adapted to remove stock from the table to the feed roller, and a second feed roller adapted to engage the stock raised by the suction tubes and hold the same against the constantly rotating feed roller.

4. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combinationof a main frame, a table supported on said frame, slides mounted on the main frame above the table and movable toward and from the table, a cross bar extending between and carried by said slides, suction 'tu bes adjustably mounted upon the said cross bar, and feed rollers mounted in the mainframe above the table and in advance of said slides to receive stock lifted from the table by the suction tubes. Q

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK H. .QUADE, JR. [11.8.] 

